Daniel Daly's Medal of Honor Valor at Belleau Wood and Peking

Dec 07 , 2025

Daniel Daly's Medal of Honor Valor at Belleau Wood and Peking

He stood alone, the enemy pressing like a storm from every side. Gunfire clipped the air. Men were falling. Yet Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly did not flinch. He grabbed a rifle and charged into the chaos, defying death with a roar that shook the hell from that forsaken ground. That moment was not a miracle—it was the steel core of a fighting man forged in blood and fire.

Born of Grit and Faith

Daniel Joseph Daly didn’t step into greatness by accident. Born in Glen Cove, New York, in 1873, he knew hardship early. The streets taught him toughness. The Marines shaped that toughness into discipline and honor.

He lived by a simple code—courage, loyalty, sacrifice. Faith was his quiet sentinel. A Roman Catholic with deep spirituality, Daly carried scripture in his heart through hellish battles. “The Lord is my strength and my shield”—that was more than words. It was armor, the kind that no bullet could pierce.

A warrior molded by blue-collar grit and spiritual conviction. The Marine Corps gave him a family; the fight gave him purpose.

Two Battles, Two Medals, One Legend

The Boxer Rebellion, 1900. China’s streets burned with rebellion against foreign forces. Daly and his Marines were part of the China Relief Expedition, tasked with rescuing besieged diplomats in Peking.

Amidst the choking smoke and shrieking artillery, Daly earned his first Medal of Honor. The official citation praises his “extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy.” But it hides the truth: he climbed atop a wall, alone, raking enemy positions with rifle fire, buying his comrades time to regroup. Not once, but again and again he exposed himself to rain down hell on attackers, steadfast as a living fortress[1].

Years later in World War I, his valor burned just as fiercely, though the battlefields were muddy and no less brutal. At the Battle of Belleau Wood, June 1918, with his men pinned down and counterattacks vicious, Daly charged enemy lines.

Legend says he shouted, “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”—a raw, fearless call to action that crushed fear like glass. He inspired Marines to storm forward through machine-gun fire and relentless artillery. Daly’s leadership was lethal and magnetic. The citation for his second Medal of Honor mentions "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty”[2].

Medals of Honor, but More Than Medals

Two Medals of Honor. Only a handful of people in U.S. history earned that. Sgt. Maj. Daly did not crave glory; he sought to save his brothers-in-arms and finish the fight.

"One of the greatest Marines who ever served," said legendary Gen. Smedley Butler, himself a double MOH recipient[3]. Daly carried the weight of his accomplishments quietly, preferring action to words but commanding respect with every scar and step.

He rose to Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank, embodying the warrior-scholar. His Marines followed because they trusted him with their lives—and he repaid that trust with his own.

The Legacy of Daniel Daly

What endures about Daly isn’t just medals or battlefield lore. It’s what he showed every combat veteran who ever wrestled with fear and purpose—all who bore the scars of war.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the choice to stand, fight, and lead when fear is a blade at your throat. Sacrifice isn’t flashy. It’s silent, awful, relentless—the slow burning stone that shapes a man’s soul.

Daly’s life teaches this: valor and humility walk hand in hand. Faith and duty sustain a warrior through the darkness.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly fought like hell so others could live. He didn’t fight for medals or fame but to protect a brotherhood forged in blood and trust. His story is a beacon to the lost, the broken, and those standing in the crucible today. A reminder that—even in the face of death—there is purpose, redemption, and a fight worth fighting. His scars tell the truest story.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Citation for Daniel J. Daly 2. U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Recipients — World War I 3. Smedley Butler, War is a Racket, historical analysis and firsthand accounts